Fans of the hard-charging sound and weighty songwriting of the Oklahoma-based Texas country band The Turnpike Troubadours will have their wishes answered on September 18th when the band releases their latest, self-titled album. The release follows their highly-acclaimed 2012 offering Goodbye Normal Street, and will surely be one of the most welcomed releases of 2015 in Texas country and beyond.

The Turnpike Troubadours will be released through Bossier City Records/Thirty Tigers, and will include 12 new songs from the band. Though we don’t have a track list yet, some songs said to be included are “The Mercury” and “Bossier City,” which is said to “showcase the bands raucous energy and proficiency as musicians, while their more poignant and melodic side shines on “Down Here”, “How Do You Fall Out Of Love” and “A Little Song.'”

The band was recently featured in the April edition of Playboy Magazine, and frontman Evan Felker spoke about the band’s rising success. “Our original intent was to play 250-person bars. Just play the hell out of it, drink beer, and ride around the country in a van,” he says. The Turnpike Troubadours formed in 2007 and has released three records over the 8-year span, becoming one of the hottest independent bands in country music in recent memory, and drawing sold-out crowds across the country at some of the most renown venues and theaters.

The new Turnpike Troubadours self-titled release adds to an already-crowded release cycle in 2015 for albums from critically-acclaimed independent country and roots bands. They will also be performing for the first time at this year’s Pickathon Festival outside of Portland.

My wife and I have had the pleasure of seeing them at Cain’s Ballroom 3 times, Red Rocks once, the Grizzly Rose in Colorado 3 times and have 2 more shows lined up this year, including Medicine Stone. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, to me, they are the best Red Dirt/Texas Country live act right now. They are red hot. They absolutely stomp a mudhole on every stage they touch. I would hate to follow that band.

“Goodbye Normal Street” was my album of the year in 2012 (as it was a lot of peoples). I am looking forward to this album. This year already has a strong list of new music coming at us. Between this, a possible Sturgill album and Jason Isbell. Plus we have already seen new music from Chris Stapleton and Whitey Morgan. . . . The list continues to grow. Can’t wait!!

Cleve, Every one of my favorite bands have put out an album this year- they’ve all been great but the one that is the most solid hasn’t received the acclaim it needs. John Moreland. Best album to come out this year. Period.

I’ve been listening to Goodbye Normal Street a ton the past few weeks by pure coincidence, and man it continues to be a stunner. Maybe it’s time to add that record as number 99 on the top 100 country records of all time?

Evan Felker has a quiet weight to his songwriting that may be overshadowed by his keen ear for melody and phrasing, or the youthful energy the Troubadours bring to the music. But it is definitely there.

Not quite the same thing but “Oklahoma-based Texas country” reminds me of a Dallas Observer list that ranked the top 50 “Red Dirt Songs” and that pointed out that though some of the artists on the list were from Oklahoma, they’re still considered red dirt music (fascinating).